Viral MEM: Precise, contamination-free virome analysis for challenging human samples
Official title: Viral MEM: Viral Enrichment and Precise Stochastic Quantification with Microbial Context Preservation for Rigorous Virome Analysis of Challenging Human Samples
Funded at California Institute of Technology · NIH-11360639 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new, highly accurate method set aims to reveal all viruses in difficult human tissue samples by removing human DNA and other noise.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | California Institute of Technology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pasadena, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,189,867 |
| NIH project number | 4U01DE034199-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11360639 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals with suspected viral involvement in diseases or conditions where virome profiling could guide diagnosis or treatment, such as celiac disease contexts.
✕Less likely to help
People without conditions where the virome is a contributing factor may not gain direct benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This grant focuses on creating and validating technologies to map the human virome with higher precision, especially in tissues with lots of human DNA. It includes Viral-MEM to enrich viral signals without relying on viral-like particles and Viral StochQuant to jointly measure sequencing data with absolute anchors for reliable results. The work combines laboratory techniques and computational tools to improve detection limits and reduce contamination, making virome studies more trustworthy. The ultimate aim is to enable researchers to study viruses in human samples more clearly, which could advance understanding of their roles in health and disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from more accurate virome profiling in their tissues, potentially informing diagnostics and personalized care related to viral infections or gut health.
How similar studies have gone: Prior methods for virome analysis exist, but this project seeks to improve rigor and reproducibility, representing an incremental yet meaningful advance.
Where this research is happening
-
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ismagilov, Rustem F — California Institute of Technology
- Study coordinator: Ismagilov, Rustem F
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.